Swallow Dome: From Domestic Dwellings to the Monumental Buildings

'Swallow dome' is a form of lantern vaulting system, the central feature of which is a pyramidal corbelled cupola, generally made of hewn logs and beams, the bottom layer being laid horizontally with ends overlapping to form of rectangle or octagon upon which successive layers of logs are then pulled up to form a tapering structure culminating in an aperture at the summit, to serve as both chimney and window. This unique type of vaulting system is a common local architectural feature in the South Caucasus region which started to construct as a typical roof structure in the domestic architecture and then spread to other monumental religious and secular buildings in this region and around the world. The main aim of this paper is to examine the evolution of this unique type of vaulting system developed from the domestic architecture to the monumental one in the South Caucasus as localized architectural element constructed mainly in timber as well as in stone. Accordingly, in the first part of the paper, swallow dome will be described in order to explain its characteristic features in the region and its semantic relations related with the pre-Christian beliefs and traditions. In the second part, swallow dome and its place in the domestic architecture will be given. And the last part will include its evolution into monumental medieval architecture as a natural continuation of this traditional construction technique which was a direct consequences of the centralized planned requirements.